


Snow's Worst Nightmare

by CrossMirror



Category: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Comedy, Crude Humor, Dream Sequence, Gen, No Plot/Plotless, Post-Canon, cold open
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-23 01:30:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17673836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrossMirror/pseuds/CrossMirror
Summary: Serah finds out the truth about Vanille. (Cold Open)Snow has a guilt-filled nightmare and apologizes to Lightning for a past transgression.





	Snow's Worst Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> In the United States, you may hear Americans call tapioca milk tea, “boba milk tea 波霸奶茶 (bō bà nǎi chá).” Boba is slang for large breasts. What does that have to with black tapioca balls? They call it boba because the tapioca looks like nipples, a wonderful (?) addition to your drink.
> 
> What if you're not in the United States, you're American, and you want boba milk tea? Maybe others will be appalled if you want boba. You can say pearl/tapioca milk tea 珍珠奶茶 (zhēn zhū nǎi chá).

Serah took Vanille to explore another trendy ice cream shop.

They had many ice cream adventures that included: macaron sandwich form, ice cream stuffed donut form, fried form, taco form, rolled form, flower form, and even realistic animal form. The hot, new trend this time made its arrival as ice cream boba with milk tea: tapioca flavored ice cream balls with milk tea.

Serah ordered two large ice cream boba milk tea. She sat next to her friend, and ate in. Serah made a mistake. She couldn't finish the last half of her drink.

“I need some help,” Serah said, passing the cup to Vanille.

Vanille tossed her empty cup away, and downed the drink. When she finished, she fidgeted her hands, made eye contact with Serah, then looked away.

Vanille said, “I'm extremely lactose intolerant.”

Serah didn't expect that. She felt bad for tormenting Vanille all this time. This explained her past behavior: always nervous when visiting a new shop, looking anxious after eating and waiting for something to happen, scanning her surroundings and keeping track of all the nearby public restrooms. If that was all true, “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I know how much you love dairy food products.”

Serah linked her arm with Vanille's. “Oh, that's not important. We can still have adventures without ice cream or dairy.”

Vanille gave Serah a gentle smile, relieved that her inability to digest lactose would never jeopardize their friendship.

“I took you for an ice cream person,” Serah said.

Vanille seemed amused at her statement. “I'm actually a tofu pudding person.”

“That reminds me, there's actually a nearby shop that specializes in carbonated fruit soymilk. Let's go there!”

Vanille thought about it, and patted Serah's hand. “Let's sit here a bit longer.”

The boba ice cream shop had a restroom.

* * *

_Fang and Vanille saved the world by turning to crystal, and freed the rest of the group from their L'Cie status._

_Serah and Dajh walked towards the group of former L'Cie, hand in hand. Happiness rose from Snow's heart. He missed his fiancée so much. As Dajh joined his father, Serah ran to Snow._

_**Except she didn't**. She passed Snow and reunited with Lightning, leaving his arms outstretched to no one._

_“Light!” Serah hopped into her sister's arms for a tight embrace. Time apart and longing for each other made the reunion all the more joyous. Unresolved issues between them didn't matter after all they went through._

_Lightning softly spoke in Serah's ear. “I'm sorry I pushed you away. You needed me, and I abandoned you.”_

_“No, I'm sorry. I'll never let anything come between us again. Not Fal'Cie, not the Guardian Corp, and **especially** **not Snow**.”_

_The world spiraled and darkened. Snow's world fell apart. He worked hard, tried his best, and didn't get the hero's ending. He couldn't save Fang and Vanille, and he didn't win the heroine's heart._

Snow panted in cold sweat. He grabbed his wedding necklace. ‘It's not real,’ he assured himself.

He sat up on his bed and rubbed his face. He remembered no one turning to crystal and everyone reuniting just fine.

A stark realization entered his mind. How did he not notice?

 

Lightning prepared breakfast, getting ready for work. As she lounged in her kitchen, she received a phone call from Snow. He normally did not get up this early.

“Hello?”

“Sis, I'm so sorry I took the first hug when Serah woke from crystal stasis.”

Lightning didn't know what he was talking about. She remembered a happy reunion with everyone. “Is that something you should be sorry for?”

Snow sounded distressed. “Yes. It must've broke your heart when Serah ran up to me. You're sisters. She should've hugged you first. And then when she did hug you, I tore her away from you to ask for your blessing. Please forgive me.”

An apology over trivial matters, details that Lightning didn't remember. For Snow to take the time and call to see if she was okay… Nostalgia filled her heart. The feeling from a happier, simpler time: when she played with Serah, had family outings... pleasant times from when she had a family.

While Lightning recognized Snow as her brother-in-law, she thought he took Serah away when they became Mr. & Mrs. Villiers. That feeling was wrong. She, Serah, and Snow actually became the Farron-Villiers family and she gained Snow as _her brother_.

Lightning held back her feelings. She said, “You worry too much. It's okay, really.”

“I know it's overdue, but please let me make it up to you. I have tickets for the Cheese Festival. You could take Serah. I can fake sick and --”

“No, that's your thing,” Lightning interrupted, “I'll be on security duty that day. We can still see each other.”

“Then, I'll save you some cheese,” Snow insisted.

“Thank you for your concern. I appreciate it. I'm sorry to cut things short. I have to leave for work soon.”

“We'll talk later?”

“Yeah. Take care. I love you… Bro.”

Snow remained silent. Did he hear right? 'I love you, _Bro_?’ Where did this come from? He would've asked, but he didn't want to take any more of Lightning's time.

“I love you too, Sis."


End file.
